Detroit Firefighters 'Let It Burn' After Hours-Long Effort At East Side Apartments
DETROIT (WWJ) - After battling a massive fire at an apartment building in the freezing cold overnight, Detroit firefighters have decided to just "let it burn."
The blaze took off around 11:30 p.m. Monday on Canfield and St. Jean streets, in an east side neighborhood between Warren and Mack avenues. Crews remained on the scene Tuesday morning and flames were still visible from blocks away.
Firefighters are being hampered by the frigid cold with temperatures in the single digits. The winter weather is so bad, some equipment is nearly frozen solid.
"It's just so cold out, it's hard to fight these elements. There's nothing you can pretty much do. It's going to be cold, and water and cold makes ice," Fire Capt. Darryl Freeman told WWJ's Mike Campbell. "It's just coming from the mist or maybe because it's so cold, some of the bolts are not tight but there's nothing wrong with it."
The fire has been contained to one building, but crews are now just going to let the blaze run its course.
"There's a collapse of the building, so we're keeping the guys and ladies away from the building and hopefully I can get the building and safety department to come out and tear the building down," said Freeman.
All nine families living in the building escaped the fire without injuries. One firefighter suffered a minor back injury, but is expected to be OK.
A cause of the fire remains under investigation.